Just a Few More Hours
by omgitskee
Summary: Quinn Fabray is twenty-three years old, a struggling actress in New York who has picked up teaching elementary school. And as if discovering that her estranged daughter was in her class wasn't enough, she gets a little surprise one night on her doorstep. Quinn/Beth, and eventually more.
1. Chapter 1

Quinn Fabray sat in her cold studio apartment, bundled up in blankets and pajamas. Like every elementary school teacher in her mid-twenties, she was grading homework at ten o'clock at night, with a red pen in one hand and a carton of Ben & Jerry's in the other. Her life these last few years had been…content. She went to Yale majoring in Drama while dabbling in teaching on the side, as a backup. And boy, was she glad she'd gotten that backup. New York was cutthroat when it came to its actors. So while Quinn tried to find an acting job, she took up a job at Oakvale Elementary school, teaching the third grade.

She flipped through her pages of homework, scanning ones she'd forgotten to grade. One name caught her eye- a certain name that made her flinch every time she saw it.

Beth Corcoran.

Yes. _The_ Beth Corcoran. Quinn hadn't thought that with moving to New York she'd be bringing up her entire past, too- Rachel was there, Santana was there…and the second she got her student roster, so was her estranged daughter Beth. Quinn could tell that Beth's adoptive mother, Shelby Corcoran, was going out of her way to avoid meeting Quinn face to face- not showing up at back to school night, avoiding the first quarter student-teacher conference…And well, Quinn wasn't complaining. She wasn't sure she was ready to face Shelby, either, after what she tried to do to her during her senior year. For most people, it was easiest to chalk it up to post-partum depression, which was what it was. But she tried to hurt Shelby so bad…it was embarrassing to see her.

And due to overcapacity of students, parents couldn't switch their kids out of certain teachers' classes. So Quinn had to deal with this awkward tango for about three months, now, trying to be a good teacher to Beth, all the while avoiding her mother. And Quinn could just tell that the girl had no idea who her real mother was.

On the first day of school, Quinn went around the classroom asking the kids to introduce themselves by saying what makes them special. This was before she was entirely sure if this Beth Corcoran was _her_ Beth Corcoran. And the little girl had said, Quinn remembers the words exactly, "My name's Beth. I like dancing ballet and what makes me special is that my mommy adopted me. My real mom didn't want me, and my adopted mom couldn't have babies so she adopted me."

_Didn't want her. _Quinn liked to imagine that that wasn't Shelby spouting off that bullshit to her, and just Beth's misunderstanding of the situation. She liked to imagine that Shelby had told her "Of course your mommy wanted you. She was just really young and couldn't take care of you."…But as an actress, Quinn knew what inner monologue was. And she knew when people said things motivated by other people.

The girl was…amazing. Just as Quinn had thought all those years ago, she was perfect. Her soft blonde curls from when she was a baby had darkened to a reddish strawberry blonde, and she had Quinn's eyes. Okay, to be fair, she and Puck had the same eye color, but the shape of her eyes was Quinn's. Beth had Puck's jawline, as well as his smile. Quinn often found herself getting lost in the girl's features- she looked so much like her, couldn't she see? She had so many of Quinn's mannerisms- tapping her pencils, placing the palm of her hand on her chin when she was irritated…She had Quinn's attitude, too. Quinn once overheard the girl calling Aiden Wallace, the classroom booger, a "Moron." Quinn had to bite back a laugh before telling her that it was impolite to call someone a moron. She supposed she could contribute some of that to Puck's fearlessness, too. Point being, they made a real spitfire together. And while Noah Puckerman was the farthest thing from Quinn's mind right now, she had to thank him for their daughter. But she didn't dare call or text him when she found out Beth was in her class.

As she finished off grading the homework, Quinn gave a heaving sigh. She was almost down to the bottom of her ice cream carton. She shoveled the spoon into the very bottom, and tossed it back in a few swift gulps. Since becoming a teacher she'd maintained a diet of TV dinners, Ramen noodles, and ice cream, as well as gained ten pounds. She planned to work that off soon.

Just then, a ring on her doorbell. The buzzing of a New York studio apartment doorbell was possibly the most unpleasant noise ever. Quinn stood, wrapped herself in her robe, and walked over to the door. She stuck an eye at the peephole, but saw nothing. Hm, she wondered. Quinn unlatched one lock then twisted the other, and opened the door. Straight ahead, she saw nothing. But once she heard a sniffling beneath her, she looked down.

Strawberry blonde hair looked back at her.

"B-Beth?" she stammered. Quinn could very well have been hallucinating seeing her daughter since she'd been thinking of her, right? The girl looked up and bit her lip.

"Ms. Fabray, can I sleep over tonight?"

Quinn was taken aback by her words. She was perplexed- how do you deny your daughter a night in your home? "Um, wait, one sec. How do you know where I live?" she knit her eyebrows down at the girl, then checked down the hallway to see if Shelby was somewhere in the wings.

"Remember? I came trick-or-treating here on Halloween. I memorized your address."

Halloween night had been…strange. Quinn had gotten no trick-or-treaters all night, and had resorted to eating the candy by herself. But then that doorbell buzzed and up came little Beth Corcoran in her fairy princess costume. Quinn had answered, clad in cat ears and pajamas (she was the cat's pajamas, get it?), and handed the girl and her friends candy. Shelby had been nowhere to be seen. There was another parent supervisor there.

Quinn placed a hand on Beth's back and ushered her inside. "Um…why do you need a place to stay?" her heart pounded in her chest- What had Shelby done that made Beth want to run away? She examined the girl mildly, checking for bruises or scars or burns…Nothing more than a scraped elbow.

"My mommy and me had a fight and then she left me with the nanny so she could go perform in her stupid show and so I snuck out the window." Beth's face crumpled with sobs. Quinn closed the door behind them and held the girl's crying face to her chest. She never thought she'd get to do this.

"It'll be okay." Quinn sighed. She held the girl back, her face pink from the sobs. She resisted the urge to reach a hand up and….dare she? She swiped a thumb across Beth's cheek, wiping away her tears. "I'm not saying you can stay the night, but let me call your mom and you can stay here until she comes to get you, alright?"

Beth pouted, but complied.


	2. Chapter 2

Beth sat on the couch, cuddled up in blankets. The first words she said after allowing Quinn to call Shelby were, "It's cold in here." Quinn wouldn't dare let her be cold. She sat her on the loveseat and bundled her in as many throw blankets as possible. The girl's big green eyes peered up into Quinn's, and she found the eye contact overwhelming. There sat her _daughter_...And she didn't even know she was looking into the eyes of her own mother. Quinn had to break the connection and stammer to offer her something hot.

"Would you like some hot chocolate?" Quinn raised an eyebrow. Beth continued to pout and crossed her arms under the blankets.

"No thanks, Ms. Fabray."

_Please, call me Mom._ was all Quinn could think. She had to remind herself that this was real...but temporary. A bittersweet thought, if she did say so herself.

"Do you have tea?" Beth pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Quinn was taken aback- turning down hot chocolate in favor of tea? Sounds like something she would've done at age seven.

"Um...yeah. I have uhhh..." Quinn hustled into her kitchen and opened her drawer full of teabags. "Normal tea, green tea, raspberry, peach..."

"Peach, please." the girl responded softly from the living room. Quinn gave a smirk. Peach was her favorite. She plugged up her electric water heater, and examined her cupboard. "Honey? Lemon?"

"Yes, please."

She was behooved by how amazingly polite the girl was. Everything "please" and "thank you". Beth had hardly moved since she came in. Quinn could tell just how shaken up she was by this fight with Shelby. What could a little girl possibly be fighting with her mother about, to the point where she would run away? Quinn had to keep reminding herself that she had already checked for bruises, albeit pathetically. How much had motherhood changed Shelby Corcoran?

Quinn prepared the tea and brought it in a mini mug back into the living room to an eerily quiet Beth. But she was still awake, staring before her, in deep thought. Quinn rested the mug on the coffee table. "It needs to cool. I'm going to go ahead and call your mom now, okay?" she gave the girl a small smile, which Beth returned. Quinn got up from the couch and sifted through her bag of files, pulling out the emergency contact list for her classroom. She knew the school had one on file, but Quinn liked to have one, too, just in case. She never thought she'd be using it in a situation like _this._

Not until she reached out a hand to dial Shelby's number did Quinn realize her hands were trembling. The idea of talking to Shelby again after years of not speaking and months of avoiding each other whenever possible…Her heart began to pound in her chest.

She almost considered simply not calling her and merely staying the night with Beth..And perhaps sending her back in the morning. But given Quinn's past with Shelby and Beth, she knew the woman would not hesitate to charge her with kidnapping. And she supposed she had the right, didn't she? Beth stopped being Quinn's the moment Shelby signed the adoption papers…And who was to say that she wasn't being a good mother?

Quinn shut her eyes, took a deep breath, and began dialing the number. The ringing on the other end blared in her ear, loud and obnoxious, taunting her anxiety. After three rings, Shelby's voice picked up on the other end.

"Hello?" she breathed. Quinn could hear the franticness in her voice, and a sniffle as if she'd been crying. Quinn bit her lip.

"Ms. Corcoran…" she began. Could she really play this off as if she weren't Quinn Fabray? As if she was a stranger? But..if she were a stranger, there was no chance of her being able to spend more than ten minutes with Beth. "…Hi, it's um…Quinn Fabray, your daughter's teacher." Shelby sucked in a breath, probably too shocked to speak. "She just showed up at my doorstep, and I figured you should know."

There was a long, painful silence.

But finally, Shelby spoke. "Quinn." she sighed. Quinn glanced into the living room to eye Beth, sipping her tea. Quinn made a move into the bathroom to talk to Shelby- _really _talk to her.

She shut the door just enough so that she could hear Beth if she needed her, but Beth couldn't hear her conversation.

"Quinn," Shelby repeated, "I should be angry that she ran away, but…I'm just glad she's not with a stranger at this point." Quinn couldn't help but give a bit of a smile…she wasn't considered a stranger.

"About that…" Quinn nodded, sitting on top of the counter, "…I think…I think this talk is long overdue, Shelby." She could almost hear Shelby shaking her head on the other end.

"Not tonight. No. Just…give me your address and I'll come pick her up. I'm sorry to have inconvenienced y-", but Quinn couldn't help but cut her off. Her pent-up frustration of the last few months was finally spilling over. How _dare _she deny Quinn the answers she deserved?

Quinn shut the door all the way, so that she could raise her voice. "No. No, Shelby, _not _not tonight. I've wanted to bring this up to you for months, but you kept avoiding me." Shelby gave an audible sigh. "Beth told my class that her real mother didn't want her. Now, I wonder who could've been spouting off_ that_ bullshit?"

"I'm not having this talk with you, Quinn. Give me your address."

"Yes you are." Quinn asserted.

Shelby's voice sounded weak, defeated. "What do you tell a little girl who doesn't understand that her real mother was young and unprepared? And how do you make it so that she doesn't run off, leaving you behind, trying to search for answers? It's easier this way."

Quinn shut her eyes, trying to fight the tears. As much as she wanted to argue with Shelby, she couldn't. "Do you want her to end up like Rachel, Shelby? Not knowing her real mother until it's too late?"

Shelby sounded strong against Quinn's tear-stricken voice, now. "Rachel was different. She never had a mother. Beth has me."

"She has your nanny."

Quinn regretted it as soon as it left her mouth. But to her surprise, Shelby didn't retaliate. That must have been a sore spot.

"Listen, Shelby…we aren't doing any good by avoiding each other. And I don't know if you believe in fate, but something brought me to that school, and brought Beth to my classroom. Please…just…just let her stay the night here, and then you can have her in the morning and never have to speak to me again. Just give me tonight." she couldn't believe she was begging this way. But the girl, sitting in her living room, sipping tea and saying her "please and thank you"s…For ten minutes, she had become Quinn's daughter again. Her perfect thing.

"Fine. Fine. I'm not going to fight with you tonight, but only under one condition." Quinn waited anxiously for the catch. "You are her teacher, nothing more- and it will stay that way until I decide otherwise."

Quinn wiped a happy tear from her eye. "Yes. I definitely agree." Then, after another painful silence, "…Thank you, Shelby."

"You're welcome. Now give me your address."

She rambled off her address into the phone, thanked Shelby once more, and hung up. Quinn eyed her face in the mirror, wiping away any stray tears before exiting the bathroom. Beth now sat on the floor in the blankets. The TV had been turned to the Disney Channel, but Beth was hardly watching- she was rambling through a box of Quinn's old pictures that she kept under the television.

"This girl." Beth said, holding up a picture from Quinn's high school days. It was from senior year, taken around Christmastime. Quinn, Rachel Berry, Brittany Pierce, and Santana Lopez stood in a line in front of the Christmas tree they'd put up in the choir room. Beth pointed to Rachel. "She looks like my mommy."

Quinn gave a nod. "She does, doesn't she?" She should have been more cautious that Beth would find a picture from sophomore year, while she was pregnant, but she figured she'd make up some story if that came. For now, she just wanted to sit there and be her mother. Quinn took a seat next to the girl and sifted through the pictures with her. "Your mom said that you can stay the night here since she knows you're mad at her."

Beth's head whipped up from the pile of pictures. "She did?" Her brows were knit, and her face was pure confusion. Shelby must not have been that kind of mother. Quinn gave a chuckle then a nod, and continued to go through pictures.

In her other hand, Quinn could see that Beth was holding a picture of Quinn and Puck. It was back when they were dating sophomore year, but her baby bump was hardly noticeable. Beth seemed to be clutching it for dear life.

"Whatcha got there?" Quinn asked. She shouldn't have been doing this- no, not when Shelby specifically told her not to. But she had to know what drew Beth to that picture.

Beth looked at it once more. "…I don't know. It's a pretty picture of you. And him…whoever he is."

Quinn bit her lip. "That's Noah Puckerman. He was my boyfriend." Beth looked back down at the photo, seemingly mesmerized. She was really looking at a picture of the three of them, Quinn realized. And Beth's eyes remained fixed on it.

Finally, she set it down. "Why did you and your mom get into a fight?" Quinn had the nerve of asking as she pulled her legs into a criss-cross.

Beth gave a sigh. "I told her I missed her because she's always performing." She fiddled with her shirt and bit her lip. "And she told me that someone has to work so I can have food and stuff and stupid Lorraine picks me up from school now." Quinn guessed that Lorraine was the nanny.

"Well, your mom is right." She gave a nod. It was the least she could do for Shelby, after she allowed her this. "She works because she loves you."

Beth shook her head. "No. If she loved me she'd spend more time with me."

"I know for a fact that your mom loves you very much. She adopted you for a reason, didn't she?" Beth gave a nod, and quickly wiped a tear from her own cheek. "You are loved, Beth."

The girl nodded. "I like you, Ms. Fabray. I wish you were my mom."

_Right in the emotions. _Quinn almost placed her hand on her heart, which was beating out of her chest. She actually _said those words_. She had to force herself to disagree. "No. No you don't." she choked out, "I'm way too young. And besides, I'm planning on being an actress like your mom, so I wouldn't do much better."

Beth hung her head, pressing her back up against the couch. Quinn followed, scooting in next to her, and placing a gentle hand over the girl's strawberry blonde curls. "I can only hope that one day I'll have a daughter like you." She rested her arm around Beth's shoulders, and the girl followed up with something shocking- she knelt her head on Quinn's shoulder. And the two sat there for twenty minutes, in silence.

The silence was eventually broken when Beth yawned, but told Quinn that she wasn't tired- and who was she to deny this girl an all-nighter on a Friday evening? She got up and made two more cups of tea. For the next hour and a half, they did everything Quinn had imagined them doing if she had kept her. She gave Beth a manicure with her favorite pink nail polish. The two gossiped about the kids in her class, and Beth seemed glad to know that Quinn thought Aiden Wallace was a booger, too. Beth showed Quinn her latest ballet routine. Having been a former ballerina herself, Quinn could tell that she was actually very good. In a few years, she'd be a natural. They sang karaoke, played dress-up, and by twelve-thirty, Beth was beat. Quinn had given her a large t-shirt to sleep in, even though she insisted she was not tired. But Quinn set up her bed for her, giving Beth fresh sheets and everything. When Quinn came into the room, Beth was holding a wallet-sized photo in her hand, from the pile of pictures that were still splayed on the floor. Her face was pale white.

"Beth? I've got the bed ready." Quinn said, but the girl was still staring intently at the photo.

"…Beth. Born June 8, 2010." She gulped. "Ms. Fabray, why do you have my baby picture?"

Quinn tried to keep her expression calm…She'd completely forgotten about the picture she'd taken of Beth in the hospital the day before Shelby came and got her. Mostly because she didn't like to look at it, since it made her sad.

"That's…" Quinn took a breath, bracing herself to tell a blatant lie that she knew would catch up with her sooner or later. "…My niece. My sister Frannie has a little girl named Beth just your age."

Beth looked up skeptically. "She even has my birthday."

Quinn raised her eyebrows, as if she didn't know that Beth was born in June 8, 2010 at 6:41 pm. "Really? Wow, what a coincidence. " The two sat in uncomfortable silence until Quinn gestured to her bedroom. "Alright, time for bed. Your mom will be here bright and early."

Hesitantly, Beth stood and followed Quinn into the bedroom. "Where are you gonna sleep?" she asked. Quinn gave a shrug.

"The couch. It's fine, though, I fall asleep on it most nights anyway."

That night, Quinn couldn't fall asleep. She kept going back in and checking in on Beth, sleeping like an angel, making sure this wasn't just a dream…that it was real. She cleaned up the photos from the floor, the tea from the counter, and made the apartment spotless. When Quinn was stressed out, she cleaned. It was two o'clock by the time she finished, and she was knocked out on the couch by two-thirty.

When five-thirty rolled around, Quinn's alarm went off. She went into her bedroom and woke Beth up since Shelby would be arriving in a half-hour.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty." Quinn nudged the girl. Beth blinked a few times, then gave a smile. "Go get dressed. Your mom will be here in a little bit."

Sure enough, Shelby was there at six o'clock on the dot. When Quinn answered the door, she stood there, neat and clean as always in her pantsuit. She looked as young as she did eight years ago. It was six in the morning- no one should look that put-together.

Beth stood at Quinn's side, shying into herself at her mother's glance. Shelby gave Quinn a look- what kind of look, Quinn couldn't tell. She knelt to the floor, and put her arms around her little girl…_Her _little girl. Quinn had to fight back some tears.

"Hey, baby girl." she muttered into Beth's hair. "Don't ever scare me like that again, okay?" Beth gave a silent nod.

"I'm sorry, mommy." She sobbed. Shelby wiped her tears with her thumb.

"Let's not apologize right now. Let's get you home in some clean clothes…and after lunch, how about we go out for some ice cream. Just us, okay?"

Beth's eyes lit up. Quinn couldn't help but smile.

"Ms. Fabray is invited, too. I…" Shelby's voice faltered and she fought to steady it. "…_we_ have something to tell you."

Beth looked between the two women. "Are you coming, Ms. Fabray?" Quinn's heart fluttered. This was actually happening. At least, she thought it was. The look Shelby was giving her said it all.

"…Of course. Of course I'll come." She nodded.

Shelby ushered Beth out of the apartment. "We'll see you at one." She said over her shoulder .


	3. Chapter 3

So I had originally intended to end the story on the last chapter, but given the feedback I got and so many of you wanting me to continue, how could I say no? =]

* * *

Hands on the steering wheel, the car wasn't moving anymore, since Quinn was parked in the parking lot of the gelato shop. That was so like Shelby, to take her eight-year-old daughter to the most expensive gelato shop in all of New York. But, she supposed there weren't many Dairy Queens near Central Park. She couldn't seem to stop her hands from shaking…in like, ten minutes she and Shelby would be revealing to Beth that her teacher was actually her mother. All morning, Quinn had been ecstatic…but now, she was afraid. What if Beth didn't want to accept this? What if she got angry that she hadn't been told sooner? There were so many ways this could all go wrong. Quinn wasn't quite sure she was ready. But ready or not, she took one last glimpse of herself in the mirror, and exited the car. The picture she had of Puck and her while she was pregnant was weighing down her purse, making it nearly unbearable to carry. She'd brought that picture, as well as Beth's baby picture with her for proof.

Her brown boots clacked down the asphalt, the chill November wind nipping at her fingers and nose. Quinn pulled her beige wrap sweater closer around her torso until she finally entered the ice cream shop. She scanned the room for Shelby and Beth, and soon found them nestled in a corner, Shelby with a nervous smile on her face. She looked up and found Quinn looking at them from the doorway. Quinn watched her gesture to Beth that she had arrived, and Beth turned excitedly, giving a large, animated wave. Quinn couldn't resist waving back before heading up to the counter and ordering a small chocolate cup of gelato. She took in a sweet, savory spoonful as she headed to the table to calm her nerves.

"Ms. Fabray," Shelby greeted her. A bit taken aback by the formality, Quinn hesitantly responded.

"Um…Ms, Corcoran," she replied before sitting in a chair between the two.

The three sat in uncomfortable silence until Beth blurted around a mouthful of strawberry ice cream, "So when am I gonna hear the big news?" Another silence. Shelby's spoon clanked deafeningly on the table when she set it down. She cleared her throat.

"Beth, sweetie, it's taken me…a very long time to come to terms with what we're about to tell you." She began. The only thing running through Quinn's mind was "An eight-year-old doesn't know what 'coming to terms' means". Being an elementary school teacher often restricted one's academic vocabulary down to the basics. Shelby continued, "You know I'm your mom and nothing is going to change that, right?"

Beth's green eyes were anxious and a bit afraid. "Mmhmm." She nodded.

"Beth," Shelby sucked in a breath and reached out to take Beth by the hand, ",eight years ago, I adopted you. About a week after you were born." Quinn's heart raced. She bit her lip anxiously. This was really happening. ",I adopted you from a couple who had you when they were much too young to take care of a baby. The girl – your real mother- loved you so much; she hardly wanted to let you go." Shelby gave a smirk, and Quinn felt her heart flutter. She was actually joking about the crazy antics she'd gotten into her senior year. She had finally earned Shelby's forgiveness. "That girl was Ms. Fabray."

Beth looked between the two of them, her eyes as big as saucers. It was silent for much too long. Quinn had to break it somehow. "I'm your birth mom, Beth." She explained. Hurriedly, she reached into her purse to pull out the pictures. "And remember last night when you were looking at a picture of him?" she pointed to Puck on the 4x7, "He's your birth father. Noah Puckerman." The girl was still taken aback by the news, and chose not to say anything. Quinn tried to study her face, but she simply looked…lost.

Finally, Beth spoke. "You gave me up." She whispered. Quinn was shocked- did she really still believe that?

"No, no. I was very young- not even sixteen. And my parents had just gotten divorced, and I was…." She sucked in a breath, "…_really_ not ready for a baby. I did the right thing by giving you to Shelby." Beth just snatched the picture from her and ran a finger over the two faces. Finally, she was seeing the resemblance. Quinn watched as the girl studied Puck's smile, his bone structure, and saw her own. She looked up with green eyes that matched Quinn's, and Quinn just now noticed that she had Lucy Caboosey's nose. She had no idea why that made her happy. The look of discovery, of _knowing_…it brought a tear to her eye.

"….Really?' Beth said, barely audible to Quinn's ears. Quinn gave a small chuckle.

"Really." She reassured her. After more silence, Quinn exchanged a glance with Shelby, and then said to the still entranced Beth, "Can I hug you?" Slowly but surely, the girl leaped from her chair and bounded into Quinn's arms. Her strawberry blonde curls fell over her shoulder, and Quinn gave them a stroke. Hot tears fell from her eyes into the Beth's hair.

"I'm so happy it's you." Beth murmured into Quinn's shoulder. Her little arms wrapped around her newfound mother's neck. Quinn couldn't hold it in any longer- she let her face crumple into a sob, just as Beth's had the night before. She was so overjoyed, it was almost unbearable.

"I'm so _so_ glad you turned out the way you did." Quinn sniffled, "You're so smart and talented and everything I hoped you would be." Beth's arms tightened around her neck. Quinn reached a hand out to Shelby, "Your mom did a _wonderful_ job with you." Shelby seemed reluctant to intrude on the moment, but she took Quinn's hand, and held it tight. Quinn felt Beth shimmy down from the seat. As soon as her little boots hit the floor, she gave a beaming smile. There were tears in her eyes, Quinn could see, but her smile never faltered.

Shelby let go of Quinn's hand and gestured for Beth to sit back down, and the girl complied. "Ms. Fabray is a lovely woman, and she's grown up so much since she had you. And I'm finally ready to let her back into your life." Quinn took a napkin from the middle of the table and wiped her eyes. Not only was the truth revealed, but she had regained Shelby's trust.

"Thank you so much." She nodded to Shelby, but the other woman merely gave her a close-lipped smile. Quinn came to realize that Shelby wasn't much for touching moments.

Quinn watched as Beth finished off her ice cream, then raised her spoon to the waitress. "Seconds, please!" she exclaimed, despite Shelby's attempts to quiet her down.

"You know you don't need that much sugar, Bethany Luanne." Shelby warned. But Beth just kept smiling and rocking back and forth in her chair.

"Of course I do, mom. This is a celebration!" she banged her fist on the table in joy. Quinn gave a laugh.

"What are we celebrating?" though, she already knew the gist of the answer.

Beth looked between the two women, her eyes bright and filled with joy. "My two moms."


	4. Chapter 4

Quinn couldn't help but notice a change in Beth since the revelation. They'd spent the rest of the school year getting to know each other much better than just teacher-student. Quinn had even had Thanksgiving dinner with the Corcorans. She'd discovered so much about Beth –that her favorite color was a specific light green, that she had been to twenty-seven Broadway shows and counting, that Shelby had been in half of them. And there was still so much to learn. Shelby began bringing Beth to work with her, where she would hang out backstage and learn what it's like to be in a theatre. They fired the nanny. Beth dreamed of becoming a Rockette. And Quinn? Well, she scored a leading role in an off-Broadway play. It seemed as though fate put her in her teaching position for that one year simply to reconnect with her daughter.

And now the three women stood in the JFK airport on a very, very hot summer day. Beth stood between her "two moms" as she often phrased it, holding a poster board over her head, waving it frantically. It read, simply, "PUCK".

A few days after the day at the ice cream shop, Quinn mustered up the courage to dig up Noah Puckerman and tell him the news. After many-a shaky-handed attempt at dialing his number, she did it. Actually punched in the digits, and waited agonizingly for him to pick up. When Lauren Zizes picked up the phone, Quinn was taken aback- when did _they_ get back together? After a bit of small talk, she finally asked that the phone be given to Puck.

Quinn assumed he had to be suspicious of _something,_ since they hadn't spoken since…well, graduation day.

"Long story short," she had said after the "hello"s, ",Shelby wants to let us back in Beth's life." The silence they found themselves in wasn't at all uncomfortable. She and Puck merely basked in happiness. The three of them figured out when would be best for him to fly to New York, and decided that June would be perfect.

So here they were, waiting for him in the airport. Quinn couldn't say she was really_ anxious _to see him again, since she'd gotten over him such a long time ago, but she was more excited. For Beth, for Shelby, for the fact that Puck would be feeling what she felt back in November.

His flight had just come in, so all they had to do now was wait. Quinn could feel Beth getting a bit impatient and, perhaps, afraid that he wasn't showing up, but Shelby kept giving her reassuring pats on the shoulder. Quinn felt slightly responsible for whether Puck showed up or not, since she had been the one to tell him to come. What if he'd missed his flight, or chickened out? No, she had to remind herself. Noah Puckerman wasn't a coward. And he didn't play around when it came to Beth.

Then, as if in slow motion, a mohawk rose over all of the heads in the airport. The crowd parted, and Puck, clad in his classic t-shirt, jeans, and sunglasses, rolled his bags behind him. Though she couldn't see his eyes, Quinn could tell his expression was nervous as he scanned the airport for them. She grabbed Beth by the shoulders and knelt down to her ear.

"There he is!" she whisper-shouted to the girl, pointing a tad obnoxiously. She had spent a year telling children that it was rude to point, but oh well. Quinn felt the girl's hummingbird heartbeat increase its speed as she held up the sign once more. Puck's gaze found the sign, and Quinn could see the large, goofy grin spread across his face.

He all but ran to them, the sweater over his shoulder bouncing, and the suitcase behind him screeching across the airport floor. Once he came within a comfortable distance of them, Puck stopped. Quinn had expected him to pull Beth into a hug, or something, but he was respecting the girl's personal boundaries right now.

Shelby broke the silence. "Hello, Noah." She smiled. The two shared a glance that made Quinn a bit uncomfortable, knowing their history, but after answering Shelby, Puck turned back to Beth.

"….This must be your little girl." He sighed.

Shelby nodded her head, then added with a shrug, "_Our_ little girl." Puck's smile was beaming as he knelt down to be face-to-face with Beth.

"Hi, Beth. I'm-" ,he began, but Beth cut him off.

"Noah Puckerman. My birth dad. You're Jewish, like me and my mom, and you live in Los Angeles. You run a pool cleaning business and I've wanted to meet you my whole life."

Quinn had to admit; the past few months she'd done more crying than ever. Happy tears, sad tears because of all she'd missed out on…And that made her choke up a little more. She watched as Puck silently pulled Beth into a tight embrace. The girl clung to him for dear life, her tiny hands clutching the cotton of his t-shirt. Quinn couldn't see his face, so she wondered if he was crying yet or not. Had she ever seen Noah Puckerman cry? Maybe his eyes were a bit misty right after Beth was born…but no more than that.

He pulled back, and examined Beth. Still no tears. "God, I hate the way the airport smells." He groaned.

"Me too." Beth chuckled.

Puck picked up his bags and let out a breath. "Let's get out of here." It hadn't registered to Quinn just yet that she'd been pretty much ignored, but this wasn't hers and Puck's reunion- it was the reunion of their strange, dysfunctional family.

Puck then turned his attention to her. "Hey, Q." he sighed. Quinn gave a small smile before opening her arms up for a hug. The two gave a tight, comforting embrace.

"Is she all you dreamed she'd be?" she muttered into his shoulder. Puck's body shook with laughter.

"Ambitious, smart…she's the exact opposite of me. Hell yeah." The two laughed before parting their hug.

"Yeah, well, she's also quick-witted and quick-tempered. That's all you." Quinn assured him. Puck eyed the girl, who was now having a quiet conversation with her mother. He chuckled, his gaze downward.

"This is so unreal." He sighed. "I mean, here we are…I'm married, running Puck's Pools. You're some bigshot actress in NYC." Quinn's eyes widened- he hadn't mentioned being _married_ to Lauren.

"You're married?" she cocked an eyebrow. Puck gave a laugh.

"Just last weekend. We eloped…Vegas. Life's too short, you know?"

Quinn gave a nod and a smile. "Yeah, I know." Her own love life hadn't been at all in the question the last few years. She'd been too hard at work. But now she was a bit jealous- Puck was married to Lauren Zizes, and Quinn was still trying to muster up the courage to talk to that guy at the book store. That night that Beth showed up at her door and the way Quinn asserted herself on the phone with Shelby…She wanted to be that assertive all the time. Her college years had definitely taken that out of her. Four years of passivity, focusing on nothing but becoming successful, Quinn had become Lucy Caboosey again, stuck in her little shell once more. But that night that she had stood up to Shelby, she finally felt like Quinn Fabray again. And she had Beth to thank for that.

"Oh, shoot!" Beth's voice rang out. (Quick-witted like Quinn, quick-tempered like Puck, dramatic like Shelby.) "Mama, I forgot his card at home." She muttered through her teeth.

Shelby raised an eyebrow. "Sweetie, we'll give it to him another day."

The girl shook her head worriedly. "No, it has to be _today_." She whined.

Shelby rolled her eyes, then turned to Quinn and Puck. "We'll take separate cabs and meet you guys in Central Park. Sounds good?"

"Sounds awesome." Puck answered, kneeling down to take Beth in his arms once more. "You turned out so awesome." He muttered into her curls. Quinn couldn't help but give a chuckle. He never did have a way with words. "But remember," the two parted, ",you get your good looks from me." His smirk made Beth erupt into laughter before she grabbed her mother's hand and ran to the exit.

Quinn and Puck strolled along together, a couple of Ohioans in an airport full of fast-pace New Yorkers. "She looks just like me." Puck said, his voice monotone.

"She does." Quinn agreed, "She has my nose, though." Puck raised an eyebrow to her, which made her laugh. "Okay, she has my_ old_ nose. Regardless, it's mine."

The two exited the airport, and got into the first cab they saw.

"So, Mizz Fabray." Puck began, as he got himself situated in the seat of the cab. They moved slowly in the airport traffic. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you since high school ended."

Quinn gave a smirk. "And what's that?"

"Why'd you kiss me that day?" his eyebrow was raised and he, too, was smirking. "I'm not hung up on it or anything, I'm just curious."

Quinn hadn't really thought much of that for the last few years. Why _did _she kiss him? She remembered saying something like she still loved him, and she remembered herself knowing that wasn't true. "High school was a weird time for me." Was all she could say. "…But I think the answer to that question is that I kind of wanted to come full circle. I wanted to see what I was leaving behind. As much as I wanted to say how excited I was to leave Lima, I was afraid…Of leaving. And I guess I wanted_ something_ to tether me back home. And when I kissed you, I told you it was because I loved you…I do, just not the way I said it, but I think it was because I _wanted_ to love you. I wanted to love _someone _so I wouldn't have to leave. But then when it happened, I realized there was really nothing holding me back, and that I should just…go for it."

"Wow." Puck nodded, "That wasn't the answer I was expecting." Quinn gave a laugh, and shrugged her shoulders.

"Hey, I'm full of surprises."

Puck smirked once more. "You're a real piece of work, Fabray." He chuckled. Quinn had never felt more comfortable around him. Those two years after Beth's birth she spent clenched up beside him in the choir room, her mind reverting back to that night that changed their lives forever. Wine coolers, "Trust me." Half that time she spent hating him. The other half, she spent angry at herself for blaming anyone but fate.

"Beth _is_ amazing, isn't she?" Quinn sighed. She had to pinch herself every day to come to the realization that she truly was as great as she was. "…You were surprisingly quiet in there.

Puck gave an embarrassed nod. "I was speechless. But, you know, I have a whole week to talk to her. To learn about her. I can still crash on your couch, right?"

Quinn chuckled. "Of course. Trust me, it gets easier to talk to her once you realize how grown up she is for her age. For the first time in five years, I really _sang_. And I did it with Beth. Karaoke, of course, but it felt good."

She could see a moment of nostalgia in Puck's eyes. "You know, back when you were at your craziest..." Quinn was taken aback by the statement, and let it show. "…No offense. But back when you weren't allowed to see her, I sang Waiting for a Girl like You to her. And since then, I haven't been able to listen to it without thinking of her. How she was doing, _what_ she was doing, if she knew I existed."

"Tell me about it. Try having to teach her for months without giving any inclination that you were her parent. It was torture."

The two continued to talk (about Beth, life, anything imaginable) until their cab finally made it to Central Park. Quinn assisted Puck with his luggage (one suitcase and a guitar case), only to find Beth and Shelby standing next to the lake. She didn't expect them to be there for another few minutes, since they had to take a detour.

Just like that day in the ice cream shop, Shelby pointed to Quinn and Puck, and Beth gave an excited wave before running over to them. Like a true ballerina, she was graceful and leapt more than ran. "Are you guys back together yet?" she asked as soon as she got within speaking distance of them.

Puck gave Quinn a questioning look, to which she responded with one that said "I have no idea what she's talking about." Quinn knelt to meet Beth's eyes. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Beth glanced between them. "We didn't really leave the card at home. We just thought you guys needed some alone time to fall in love again."

Quinn shared a perplexed glance with Puck, who was now kneeling next to her. "Beth," he began, "I'm married." Beth never looked so young and confused. All this time Quinn had known her, she was this mature little woman. Her true age was showing, now.

"But my mommy says that when two people love each other, their love makes a baby. You guys have to love each other!" she was pouting, now, upset that her plan had been foiled.

"Oh, sweetie." Quinn moaned before pulling the girl in for a very one-sided hug. "You know what? I do love him. You know why?" Beth's big, green eyes peered up at her, gentle beneath her stern expression. "Because he helped me make you. And you are all anyone can ask for. I love him in a way that I can never love anyone else, but I do not_ love_ love him. Understand?"

She felt Puck's hand on her shoulder. "Same with me." Beth gave a small smile.

"I understand." She nodded, then her expression became confused again. "…What can I call you?" she asked Puck. "I call Quinn Quinn because I already have a mom. But I don't have a dad, so what do I call you?"

Puck stared at the ground for a second before looking up. "You don't have to call me dad. For now, I'm Puck. Or Puckzilla. Or Puckasaurus." His expression became gradually more comfortable once he heard Beth's laughter.

"I like Puckzilla." She nodded, baring her snaggle-toothed smile.

"Then Puckzilla it is." He smiled, holding out his hand for a fist bump. The two touched fists, then opened their palms for the "explosion". "So, talk to me. What do you like to do?"

Quinn watched as the two held hands and began walking across the grass. "Well, I like to dance. I'm a ballerina. "

"Have you ever seen the movie Black Swan?" Puck asked absent-mindedly. Classic Puckerman. Their voices trailed off into the distance as the got farther and farther away from Quinn. She couldn't help but smile at the scene. The two looked so happy, so invested in each other. And then, once again, Quinn was alone, her sun dress blowing in the summer wind, her blonde hair whipping around her face. Shelby then approached, her jeans rolled up to her calves, a pair of shoes in hand. She'd been less guarded around Quinn since she reunited her and Beth, and even decided not to wear makeup to the airport. Her age showed, as well as years of stress from never knowing Rachel, and then keeping Beth's parents a secret. But now she was happy, and Quinn could see that.

"Have I ever thanked you for making me let Beth stay with you that night?" Shelby asked, linking arms with Quinn.

She gave a chuckle. "A few times, yeah." She nodded, "But I never get tired of hearing it." The two women began slowly strolling to the lake.

"Really, Quinn. I just know that in ten years, I'd be kicking myself for making Beth end up like Rachel, not knowing who gave birth to her, and having no reason as to why she couldn't know her. Thank you again."

Quinn shook her head, "I should really be thanking you. These have been the happiest months of my life, getting to know Beth." She paused, then dared say it. "We're kind of a family, aren't we?" she smirked. Shelby laughed out loud.

"…Kind of." She nodded, "Kind of."


	5. Chapter 5

**I just wanted to thank all of my readers who urged me to continue with this story. I really enjoyed writing this, and now we're at the final chapter. **

**Warning: If you didn't expect me to add in my OTP, you were wrong. But I threw in a little something for you Quickers, too.**

* * *

Beth sucked in a breath. Those ten years ago that fate had brought her to her birth mother's door…they seemed so far away. She could hardly remember a time where she didn't know Quinn or Puck. And whenever she tries, she's brought back to a time that just feels…dark. And, of course, her real mother, Shelby- she could hardly remember a time where she wasn't so open and loving. Beth was told that Shelby once was very closed-off…She couldn't bring herself to remember. Or maybe she didn't _want_ to remember. But oh well, that was the past. This was the present.

She looked in the mirror that was taped backstage, her strawberry blonde curls pulled up into a messy bun. Beth's pink ball gown glittered in the dark of the room, and she could see herself sparkling. When the lights went up on the stage, the pitter-patter of her heart nearly stopped. She wouldn't be dancing on this stage, no- that would be too easy. Today was her eighteenth birthday, and out there were over one hundred friends, family members, and extended family members.

Beth clicked her silver heels on the wooden floor of the stage and found herself in front of the podium, welcomed with warm applause. "Welcome, everyone." She began, simply, unable to tear her eyes from the podium. "I can't thank you enough for coming. All of you. Really, it means so much to have over a hundred of my favorite people here with me to celebrate my becoming a woman. Thank you mostly to my mother, Shelby Corcoran," Beth gestured out into the audience where Shelby sat front and center. ",for bringing me up to be who I am today. Thanks to her support, I would not be attending Julliard in the fall." A few 'whoops' and hollers came from the audience, especially from her booger of a boyfriend, Aiden Wallace, to which Beth gave a chuckle. "Well, anyway, I'd like to tell you all a story. It's not a story many people know about me, because it's, well…complicated." Beth twiddled her fingers over the podium, but finally raised her head to meet her audience. "Once upon a time, two high school students found themselves about to have a baby. They weren't prepared, and they had so much more to do with their lives than raise a child. So they did something extremely courageous- they gave the baby to a woman who had wanted to be a mother her entire life. That woman is my mother, Shelby Corcoran, who when I was eight years old, allowed me to have a relationship with those two teenagers. I am proud to say that my birth parents are two of my best friends. There is something extremely gratifying about getting to know someone who is a piece of you, and never wanting to let them go at any cost.

"And we are proof that open adoptions _can_ work out. My birth father has been married for ten years, and he has two little boys. My birth mother got married seven years ago, and has a baby on the way. What I'm trying to get at here, is that if my life has taught me anything, it's that you cannot let your past define you, or keep you from those you love because of some societal stigma that once someone is out of your life, it has to be forever. I have my mother to thank for that, as well as my birth parents. But there is one more person that we're missing here. This one goes without a story, because it is for my mother and only her, but I have a special guest here today. Her name is Rachel Berry."

Beth could hear the three gasps in the audience- maybe five, as Rachel came out from backstage and stood next to Beth. Even in high heels the petite woman only came up to Beth's neck. "Rachel heard my story and was touched. If I can have a relationship with my birth parents, why can't she?" Many-a long afternoons sneaking off into coffee shops to meet up with her sister (to an extent) behind Shelby's back, it was no wonder that Rachel had felt inspired by Beth's story. "So this is my gift to you, mom, for raising me so well, as well as my gift to myself. There is no reason that we all can't be in each other's lives." Beth eyed Shelby in the front row, dabbing her eyes with a napkin, and sent Rachel down to greet her- _their _mother. Beth turned her attention back to her audience, who was probably very confused.

"I'm sorry," she chuckled, "But um..I just thought you all should know how I, Bethany Luanne Corcoran, came to be the girl I am today. I got my strive from my mother, Shelby , my creativity from my birth mother Quinn, and I've been told that I get my quick temper from my birth father Puckzilla," the guests gave a hearty collective laugh, "And over the last few weeks I've gained a certain fearlessness from my quasi-sister Rachel Berry. These are all of the people who have molded me to be who I am for eighteen years, and I truly think they are to celebrate here today, not me. So please, enjoy the party, and thank you again for coming." Beth exited the stage to thunderous applause before meeting her mom on the floor with a hug.

"I should take away your college tuition for springing a surprise on me like this," Shelby sobbed into her shoulder. Beth just gave a laugh. "But thank you. That was…so sweet."

"I know how you felt about the way you treated your relationship with Rachel back when you had the opportunity to get it back on track, and I know how much it hurt to see me bonding with Quinn and Puck all these years. It was only fair."

Speak of the devil, Rachel scuttled over to Beth with extended arms. "That was the sweetest thing I'd ever heard. Besides my Tony's acceptance speech, but I don't think that counts."

Beth laughed, taking in a whiff of Rachel's dark hair. She and Shelby used the same shampoo. "I have _you_ to thank for giving me the idea, Rachel. I'm so glad it worked out." Just then, she felt a pair of big, strong arms wrap around her and Rachel.

"Seriously, Beth, only you would be able to get four of my exes in one room." Puck laughed. It had been no secret that Puck dated Rachel for a short time in high school, but the thought still grossed her out to no end. While she didn't exactly see him as a dad, he was definitely a father figure, and at times an older brother figure, and it was weird to think he dated her quasi-sister. His wife, Lauren, was awesome, but a part of Beth still kind of wanted to see him and Quinn together, to see what it was that drew them to each other in the first place, no matter how happy they both were with their current families.

The two Puckerman boys, Jack and Daniel, were little terrors, but that didn't stop Beth from volunteering to babysit them every once in a while. They _were _her brothers, after all. Kind of. Quinn had married Artie Abrams, a boy they both knew in high school, and was six months along with a baby boy. She was so glad they'd known each other since she was eight. Beth didn't know how she'd take it if she'd re-met Quinn after she became a mother again. Now, they'd known each other for so long, Beth was basically throwing the baby shower.

Quinn joined in the group hug the best she could without her belly getting in the way. "Beth," she sighed. The hug broke up, and Rachel and Puck decided to break off to catch up, which left Beth with her birth mother. Quinn eyed her, and pushed a loose curl out of Beth's face. "Beth…" she repeated. "Come outside, I have a present for you." Beth watched as Quinn strutted her stuff out the side door of the venue, not letting the fact that she was wearing a maternity dress get in the way of her confidence. They found themselves in the warm night looking up at the stars. Quinn pulled a small box out of her purse and handed it to Beth gently.

"Happy birthday, Beth."

Beth eyed the box. It wasn't wrapped, but had a big pink bow on the top. She opened it, and was then faced with a charm bracelet. It glittered in the moonlight.

"I added a charm for each of our weird, dysfunctional family." Quinn chuckled. Beth eyed each charm- an apple to represent Quinn, two microphones to represent Shelby and Rachel, and a dinosaur for Puckzilla.

Beth bit her lip- it was precious. "Thank you so much, Quinn." she beamed. Her heart was overflowing with feelings from the speech she'd just given, as well as this gift. Quinn gave a shrug before looking back up at the stars."This feels strangely full-circle, doesn't it? I mean…to me, it does. I don't know about you."

Beth didn't exactly get the gist of what Quinn was saying. "…Not really?" she scrunched up her nose. Her semi-crooked nose that Quinn made her promise never to get changed. Quinn reached out and took her by the hand, resting her other hand on her belly.

"I mean…Here I am, about to become a _mother._ Not just someone who brought a child into the world, but someone who will be _raising _that child. And you're here about to go off to college, becoming a woman. I don't know, it feels very…" she trailed off with a sigh. Beth tightened her grip on her birth mother's hand, pulling her closer. She understood, now.

"You're going to be a great mom, Quinn." Beth sighed. She knew it, too.


End file.
